The present invention relates to a structure for arranging a parking-brake lever.
The parking-brake lever (abbreviated as a "PKB lever" hereinafter) is mounted on an upper surface of a floor tunnel provided on a floor of an automobile. A cable is extended from the PKB lever and branched off into two cables via an equalizer arranged on the floor tunnel. Such two cables are connected to parking-brake mechanisms which are provided to right and left rear wheels respectively (see Patent Application Publication (KOKAI) Hei 9-66819 as a similar technology).
With respect to the PKB lever of this kind, as the PKB lever arranging position, in order to be used commonly in both the automobile equipped with a right-hand steering wheel and the automobile equipped with a left-hand steering wheel, there are a first position provided in a center area of an upper surface of the floor tunnel in the width direction of the automobile, a second position provided exclusively to the automobile with the right-hand steering wheel in a right side area in the width direction of the automobile in front of the first position, and a third position provided exclusively to the automobile with the left-hand steering wheel in a left side area in the width direction of the automobile in front of the first position.
In order to respond to such three positions in a series of automobiles, a large opening area is formed on the upper surface of the floor tunnel. In the case of the first position, the PKB lever is mounted directly in the opening area, and then the cable extended from the PKB lever is branched off via the equalizer so as to extend to the right and left rear wheels. In the case of the second position or the third position, the PKB lever is mounted to each position and then the cable is extended from the PKB lever via a dedicated through bracket provided in the opening area so as to pass through the floor tunnel and then is branched off via the equalizer so as to extend to the right and left rear wheels.